Search smh:

Search in:

Calls for conscience vote on gay marriage

Genevieve Gannon

Pressure is mounting for a conscience vote by federal MPs on same-sex marriage after months of community consultation revealed divisions on the issue still run deep.

About 20 federal MPs reported the results of community surveys to parliament on Wednesday, reflecting both fierce opposition and passionate support for changing the Marriage Act to accommodate couples of the same sex.

Local surveys found just two per cent of respondents were in favour of same-sex marriage in parts of Queensland, but in the Greens-held electorate of Melbourne more than 90 per cent of respondents supported changing the Marriage Act to recognise same-sex couples.

In presenting his findings, Nationals MP Darren Chester, who opposes same-sex marriage, said political parties should grant their members a conscience vote on the matter.

Advertisement

Labor MP Graham Perrett made an impassioned plea for change in the Marriage Act and an end to violence against young gay people, but he later agreed a conscience vote was "logical".

"Faith is involved with people in terms of making this decision," Mr Perrett said.

"I would see why a conscience vote might be necessary because obviously faith is not super-logical, that's why it is called faith."

The comments echo a call by Labor powerbroker and same-sex marriage supporter Anthony Albanese who on Monday said there was a strong case for taking the issue to a conscience vote.

"I think there are very strong-held views about this issue and where there are strongly held views, historically we have often determined to have a conscience vote whereby people regard it as a moral issue," Mr Albanese told reporters.

Australian Marriage Equality campaign co-ordinator Rodney Croome said he wished to see a conscience vote.

Mr Croome was speaking at a press conference for the presentation of a GetUp! petition of more than 55,000 signatures in support of same-sex marriage to MPs on Wednesday in Canberra.

The petition was accompanied by a full page ad in The Australian newspaper that said more than 48,000 people had come out in support of changing the Marriage Act.

GetUp! national director Simon Sheik said there had been a last-minute influx of signatures following an interview with same-sex marriage advocate and gay man Carl Katter, the half brother of independent MP Bob Katter, on Network Ten on Tuesday.

"An extraordinary number of Australians from across the community have been touched by his story," he said, adding the GetUp! website had crashed after Carl Katter's interview.

Mr Sheik compared the petition to a "lesser petition" collated by the Australian Christian Lobby and presented to the Senate on Wednesday by two senators from opposite sides of politics, Labor's Helen Polley and the Nationals' Senator Ron Boswell.

About 52,500 people signed the petition to uphold the existing definition of marriage as being between a man and a woman.

Senator Boswell said the GetUp! petition had fewer signatures, based on the figures published in The Australian.

"We represent the conservative electorates and overwhelmingly the support for traditional marriage is strong there," he told reporters in Canberra.

However, Greens MP Adam Bandt, who initiated the consultation last November, hailed the day as an important step along the road to equality for same-sex-attracted people.

"It sends a powerful message to the boy in a country town struggling with his sexuality, or the student who wants to take her girlfriend to the high school formal, that this country believes your love is equal," Mr Bandt said.